Slack take-up means for ironer tapes



July 6, 1954 w. E. MYERS 2,682,718

SLACK TAKE-UP MEANS FOR IRONER TAPES Filed June 11, 1952 INVENTOR. Wqwv: E. Mzrewa Patented July 6, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in stripping means for flatwork ironers.

An object of the invention is to provide novel andimproved means for preventing the fiatwork from adhering to the rolls, and being carried around therewith.

A further object of the invention resides in providing novel and improved means for taking up operating slack and idle slack in stripper tapes now in use in connection with ironing rolls.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from a study of the following specification, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows a four-roll fiatwork ironer, the stripping tapes and slack take-up means being shown in full line, and the main features of the ironer in dot-dash line.

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. l, but showing the rolls in idle position, namely raised from the steam chest.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan View showing certain slack take-up devices as shown on the left top portion of Figs. 1 and 2.

- Fig. 4 is a perspective view, somewhat enlarged, showing one of the devices of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing other slack take-up means as shown on the right end of Figs. 1 and Referring first, for convenience in further discussion, to the main features of the ironer, Figs. 1 and 2 diagrammatically illustrate a fiatwork ironer comprising four rolls I!) in tandem, supported above a steam chest or heated bed I I, the bed being provided with suitable concave portions Ha, each one complementary to a respective roll, as will be familiar to those skilled in the art, so that a fiatwork article introduced be,- tween roll no and chest H proceeds in an undulant path between the chest and the successive rolls, and is discharged at the right, whereupon it is usually carried by endless tapes or otherwise to a suitable delivery point, usually to be folded.

As is also familiar to those skilled in the art, fiatwork articles have a tendency to adhere to a roll, so as to wrap themselves therearound, and the art has disclosed various devices to prevent this. One common means will be termed stripper tapes, namely a laterally spaced series of endless tapes, 7 identified herein by reference character l2 which pass over and under the roll assembly, and above the chest, the flatwork be-,

ing introduced between these stripper tapes and the chest, so that as the work emerges from each 2 zone of contact of a roll with the chest, the work is prevented from turning with the roll. The use of stripper tapes of this character is disclosed,

for example in U. S. Patent No. 1,808,764 to Forrest J. Couch. In the present drawings the tapes ii are supported at their front end by.

being passed around rotatable spools l3 and at their rear end around a bar I4. Further explanation of the means and method of support and operation of the tapes will be made hereinbelow.

There are two factors which mainly contribute to the existence of undesirable slackness in stripper tapes, and which will be respectively termed herein, for convenience, transient slack (or operating slack) and idle slack. Transit slack arises from the fact that the tapes are subjected to constantly varying moisture conditions, and the tapes expand and contract in response to such variations. Tape tension increases when the tapes contract, and there may be a permanent stretch induced which is not elastically compensated when the tension decreases. Slack take-up means of various types have previously been devised, but have not been entirely satisfactory. One such means is shown in the aforesaid Couch patent which relies mainly on leverage biased by spring tension, but the tape tension existing when the tapes were under maximum stress caused so much stretch that the lever arms were incapable of entirely taking up the slack. In the present application I have provided improved means for oiisetting operating or transient slack, as will appear. I

The second factor contributing to slackness in stripper tapes arises from the fact that the set of rolls, when idle, are raised from contact with the heated chest, for example from the position of Fig. l to that of Fig. 2. The stripper tapes l2 need no longer follow the undulating path provided by the crests and hollows of the chest, and consequently would droop loosely from the upper support, and under such conditions the tapes had a tendency to become laterally disthe ordinary slack take-up means, and in the present application I disclose and claim novel and improved means for maintaining the tapes under moderate tension even when the rolls are raised.

Proceeding now to a more specific description of the invention, a frame i5 supports the heated chest II. The rolls I0, padded and covered in conventional fashion, are journalled at each end in pressure bars IS, the journal means being vertically movable in slots I5a (Fig. 1) in the frame. The pressure bars I6 are moveable up and down by links I! and I8, respectively at the left and right ends of Figs. 1 and 2. The links are pivotally carried on eccentrics I9 and 20, these being rotatable by suitable operator-controlled means (not shown) for applying variable degrees of pressure between the rolls and chest or for raising the rolls entirely out of contact with the chest, as seen in Fig. 2.

The flatwcrk to be ironed is disposed on the travelling feed ribbons 22, and proceeds beneath the stripper tapes I2 to the right end of the chest II, and then travels clockwise around the chest end and between the chest and a movable apron 23, being carried frictionally by the apron along the polished bottom of the chest toward the front (left) end. At this point the article goes between apron 23 and another apron 24 and is carried to the rear (right) end and delivered there for folding or further disposal, as desired. Certain apron-carrying rolls are indicated in the drawings, the use, construction, and operation thereof being conventional, so that more specific description is not necessary. The rolls 25 and 2B are made adjustable, for proper apron tension, and they are rotatably journalled in a pair of laterally opposed. swingable wings or brackets ZI, one such bracket being shown.

Brackets El are pivotally supported at 28 on the frame 55, and, when swung, carry the apron tension rolls 25, 25 through an arcuate path of travel so as to apply or release tension on the aprons 23, 25. Movement of the brackets '2' when desired, is eifected by rotation of heart shaped earns 29 upon which ride rollers 36 carried on the brackets. In Fig. l the roll is on the cam rise, and. 2 it is on the cam drop. Downward (clock ise) swing of brackets El releases apron tension, and upward movement of brackets 21 applies tension to the apron as will appear. Release of apron tension is desirable when the ironer is inactive to prevent scorching of that portion of apron 23 which is in contact with the heated chest. Ihe cam 29 operates synchronously with eccentric 26 so as to release apron tension as roll assembly is raised.

A roll 33 is swingably carried on arms 34, said arms being pivoted. on the frame at 35 (Fig. 5). This roll cooperates with apron roll 25 to loosen or tighten apron. which runs around roll 33 and under the chest. A link 36 connects arm 34 with bracket 2?, being pivotally connected to the arm at 3'5 and to the bracket at 38, so that swing of the bracket applies or releases tension to apron 23 through responsive swing of roll-carrying arm 34.

I have taken advantage of the swingable movement of roll 33 and arm 34 to take up idle slack in the stripper tapes IZ, as follows.

I have previously indicated that the stripper tapes passed around rod Id at the rear end of the ironer. In former construction this rod was .fiXed on the pressure bars 56. I here provide a pair of lugs or brackets 4:] which are attached to arm 34 and between which the rod I4 is disposed. It will be apparent that when the rolls ID are raised and the apron tension bracket 2"! swings clockwise downwardly, the arms 3 and rod I4 swing clockwise rearwardly and downwardly so as to take up most of the idle slack in tapes I2, as well shown in Fig. 2. The remainder of the slack is continuously taken up by the transient slack device now to be described.

Such transient slack device comprises an arm .2 birfurcated at its tip end to conveniently carry the spool 53 previously mentioned, there being of course one arm and spool for each tape I2. Each arm 42 is pivotally mounted on a cross brace 53 which is attached at its ends to pressure bars It. As here shown the pivotal mounting of the arm may be on a pivot pin A l in a bracket 55 carried by cross brace 43, as best shown in Fig. 4. Disposed at the other side of pivot pin M, away from spool I3, is a counterweight 45 which exerts a uniform tension in a clockwise direction (Fig. 4) on a stripper tape I2 and which is not subject to the disadvantages accompanying spring biased devices of the prior art. The upper flight of the stripper tapes descends from the spool, passes around a rod 47 fixed on side brackets ilo; between pressure bars I6, and then to the right above the rolls Ill, and down around bar it previously described. ihe lower stripper tape flight descends from the spool, and passes to the left of the first roll IE! and then between said roll and the chest I I, also as previously described.

To meet varying conditions, such as the number of tandem rolls I6, various movable elements of the described slack takeup means may be adjusted to compensate for such variation. Those skilled in the art, upon studying the above disclosure, will realize that the amount of swing of arm 3 or of bracket 2'? may be changed in various ways, such as by adjusting the length of link 35 or the height of the cam rise of cam 29, or by changing the distance between r011 3E] and bracket pivot 28, etc.

From the above description it will be apparent that the present invention comprises means for taking up the major slack in stripping tapes resulting from raising of the rolls, and the minor slack resulting from transient causes during operation. It i further apparent that the means for taking up transient slack is effective at all times, and is maintained under uniform tension. Finally, it is apparent that the said slack take-up devices are simultaneously effective, and supplement each other, when the rolls are in idle position.

What is claimed is:

i. In an ironing machine of the type having an ironing chest and an ironing roll cooperating therewith between which chest and roll the work is passed for the ironing operation, and having an endless f. ible stripping tape passed between the roll and the chest, the upper flight being re turned above the roll, idle slack take-up means for said tape comprising, in combination, an endless flexible apron having a portion travelling adjacent said chest, means for moving said apron towards and away from said chest, and means engaging said. tape and said apron-moving means for applying slack take-up tension to said tape when said apron is moved out of operating contact with said chest.

2. In an ironing machine of the type having an ironing chest and an ironing roll cooperating therewith between which chest and roll the work is passed for the ironing operation, and having an endless flexible stripping tape passed between the roll and the chest, the upper flight being returned above the roll, idle slack take-up means for said tape comprising, in combination, an endless flexible apron having a portion travelling adjacent said chest, apron-tensioning means swingably mounted with respect to said chest and engaging said apron, and movable from tensionapplied to tension-relaxed position, and means engaging said tape and saidapron-tensionin means for applying slack take-up tension to said tape when said apron-tensioning means is moved to tension-relaxed position.

3. In an ironing machine of the type having an ironing chest and an ironing roll cooperating therewith between which chest and roll the work is passed for the ironing operation, and having an endless flexible stripping tape passed between the roll andthe chest, the upper flight being returned above the roll, idle slack take-up means for said tape comprising, in combination, an endless flexible apron having 'a portion travelling adjacent said chest, apron-tensioning means swingably mounted with respect to said chest and engaging said apron, means for simultaneously moving said roll out of contact with said chest and for swinging said apron-tensioning means to tension-relaxed position, and means engaging said tape and said apron-tensioning means for applying slack take-up tension to said tape when said apron-tensioning means is moved to tension relaxed position.

4. In an ironing machine of the type having an ironing chest and an ironing roll cooperating therewith between which chest and roll the work is passed for the ironing operation, and having an endless flexible stripping tape passed between the roll and the chest, the upper flight being returned above the roll, idle slack take-up means for said tape comprising, in combination, an endless flexible apron having a portion travelling adjacent said chest, apron-tensioning means swingably mounted with respect to said chest and engaging said apron and movable from tensionapplied to tension-relaxed position, means for simultaneously moving said roll out of contact with said chest and for swinging said aprontensioning means to tension-relaxed position, tape-tensioning means swingably mounted with respect to said chest and engaging said tape, and linkage means pivotally connected to said tapetensioning means and to said apron-tensioning means and adapted to apply slack take-up tension to said tape when said apron-tensioning means is moved to tension-relaxed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,808,764 Couch June 9, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 309,251 Great Britain Apr. 11, 1929 333,915 Great Britain Aug. 22, 1930 344,864 Canada Sept. 25, 1934 

